Happy Halloween! In honor of one of my favorite holidays, today’s blog post covers one of the scariest topics in sport: goal setting. Now I know, I know, there are better ways to incorporate Halloween into a blog post (like how slow and steady can win the race). Instead, goal setting is the focus as it’s that time of year when athletes and coaches start to think about next season.

For many athletes, goal setting can be scary – the idea of setting a goal and not achieving it can be a terrifying thought. However, a proper goal should be a little scary because it pushes your limits. For example, a goal could be to get to 75 houses for trick-or-treating. It’s been a while since I last went trick-or-treating (a year to be exact…), but 75 houses means covering a lot of ground and if I fail, I could end up exhausted and stranded over by that poltergeist house.

It’s important that your goals are difficult yet potentially achievable. The goal of getting to 75 houses for trick-or-treating may sound like a lot, but last year I got to 60 houses. While adding on an extra 15 houses isn’t exactly easy, it’s still feasible based on how many I got to last year. Aiming for 100 houses on the other hand, would certainly push my limits and isn’t something that would be possible since last year’s 60 houses left me pretty worn out. Setting myself up for failure isn’t going to be fun for anyone.

The important thing is to find the right balance between pushing your limits and making a goal too easy. An ambitious yet achievable goal will keep you motivated to improve as an athlete. Making it to 75 houses this year will require not only improved stamina and speed, but also the strength to carry that much loot. With that ambitious goal in mind then, the motivation will come easy.

Another important point is to create goals that get you excited. You want to create goals that get your heart racing when you think about achieving them. This aspect can be extremely variable between people and is why there are so many different possible goals. For me, it’s the stomach ache from 75 houses worth of candy that gets me excited. Whatever the case is for you, the important thing is that you’re dreaming about the day you get to achieve your goal.

One last thing about goals. Goals are not meant to be kept a secret. Goals should be shared with friends, family, mummies, ghosts, etc. so that they can be there to support you. A strong support system is needed whenever you are trying to achieve your goals (just ask any NASCAR driver). Once you’ve decided on your goals, let those around you know.

Through this post, I’ve told the world my Halloween goal. It’s ambitious but it’s kept me motivated to train all summer. And there’s a chance I may not achieve it, but as they say, it’s the journey, not the destination that matters. Or, as the great Warren Miller said, “if you don’t do it this year, you’ll be one year older when you do!” Hopefully you’ve learned something and can create your own fun and ambitious goals for next year. Now, to get my costume all set for the big night. Hopefully all 75 houses get it… Thanks for reading!